Tim McGraw Fought Off Tears to Record ‘Humble and Kind’

You don’t get to be a successful country artist like Tim McGraw without being in touch with your emotional side, and his daughter Gracie’s recent journey off to college has brought up a rollercoaster of emotion for the star and his wife, Faith Hill.

McGraw says the last track on his forthcoming album Damn Country Music, titled “Humble and Kind,” was hard to get through with this recent experience in mind.

“I cried through every take,” he admits to Taste of Country. "I would try to get myself together and I’d get halfway through it and I would just start blubbering every time I tried to sing a line."

The song, he says, is one he’s had in his back pocket for years, but didn’t decide to record until now. "It certainly is a letter to your kids in a lot of ways,” McGraw explains.

When he finally decided he was ready to do it, it was the last track he recorded for the album. After having to take a break mid-recording for his daughter’s volleyball game, he drove back to producer Byron Gallamore’s place to finish it up.

“The thought of doing that song all the way back to Byron’s I was crying,” he remembers with a smile. “So I think I got it all out of my system."

Hear more about the process of getting “Humble and Kind” onto the record in the exclusive video above with McGraw.

The title track for Damn Country Music was unveiled earlier in October after teasing the new record for months via cryptic clues on Instagram, along with the music video, which McGraw debuted via Facebook. The record finally drops Nov. 6 and features a duet with Gracie called “Here Tonight.” McGraw said he was nervous to ask his daughter to sing with him, but of course, she was game. The tune is available to download now for fans who preorder the record on iTunes.